[Sca-cooks] Faith and chellenges

[tom.vincent at yahoo.com]

Comments below.
 
----- Original Message ----
From: Anne-Marie Rousseau <dailleurs at liripipe.com>
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org; tom.vincent at yahoo.com
Sent: Tuesday, May 30, 2006 5:54:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Faith and chellenges


hey all from Anne-Marie

the same criteria could be put on pretty much any observation set. Conclusions are 
based on faith. 
 
>> Not really.  Conclusions are *proved* by replicating tests with consistant results.  A 'scientist' should know that.  You start with a theory and then work to prove the opposite.  You explain the results.  You repeat the experiments.  You submit it to critical peer review.  You question.  You validate.  You verify.  You double-check.  You triple-check.  You do blind tests.
 
some faith decisions have more supporting evidence than others. but if there's one thing science has taught me is that we dont know nuthin. 
 
>> What a tragically flawed conclusion for a 'researcher' to come to.  It's better to look at what we don't know as 'the god gap' (that which can't currently be explained scientifically falls into the 'god did it' pit), which is ever diminishing.  Hundreds of years ago, people thought gods dragged the sun away every evening.  Science solved that and banished that 'god gap'.  People once thought that babies were implanted by gods, fairies, storks, etc.  Science explained the facts behind sperm & egg, banishing that 'god gap'.  Hundreds of other former 'god gap' examples can be cited.
 
we can guess (again, faith) and we can make educated guesses (still faith) but we never really know. 
 
>> Nonsense.  Of course we can.  If I put a chicken breast in a 2,000 degree oven for six weeks, it will not be presentable at feast.
If I pull a raw steak out of a sub-zero freezer that it has been in for 2 days and give it directly to a server, it will not be well-done by the time it reaches the high table.

Observations are facts. conclusions are explainations taht may or may not be right, 
and that are made based on interpretations of facts.
 
>> And how repeatable the observations are strengthens the validity of the conclusion.

if I let go of this ball, it appears to go down.
does it? really? are you sure?
 
>>  Yes.  We defined 'down' as the direction towards the ground.  Drop the ball, it moves toward the ground.  Do it 1,000 times and you will get exactly the same results.  No matter how you pray, to what deity or deities you pray, or how many times you pray, it will not change the results:  The ball will still move toward the ground due to gravity.

why? we say gravity.
gravity is the idea that magnetic and other vector forces exert a pull on all 
objects. we have math that if you plug in weights and velocities, you can figure a 
constant value that we call "gravity". 
 
>> You are wrong again.  Gravity is not a 'constant value' but dependent upon time, distance, planet, etc.  Gravity on earth *accelerates* falling objects, so it is not a constant velocity.

it is also possible that it is merely an optical illusion. not likely, but 
possible. 
 
>>  Okay...here's a test for you.  If you think that it's an optical illusion, close your eyes and have someone drop a brick on your head from 20' above.  If gravity is an optical illusion, you won't see the brick and it won't actually fall.  Then you'll have proof that gravity is an optical illusion...or not.
 
We ahve faith that our suppositions of "gravity" are true. and so we draw 
conclusions based on that.
 
>>  Nonsense again.  The conclusions on gravity are based on reproducable experiments and observations.  They have nothing at all to do with faith.

--AM, who also has faith that mustard and butter and capers and green onions are 
yummy when made into a sauce and put on veggies or meat or bread.
 
>>That does sound kind of yummy.  I think I'd add a dash of balsamic vinegar to it, though.
 
Duriel
(who'd enjoy hearing your defense of the biblical references I mentioned...that you completely ignored)
 
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Tom Vincent
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
When shall it be said in any country of the world, my poor are happy; neither ignorance or distress is to be found among them; my jails are empty of prisoners, my streets of beggars; the aged are not in want, the taxes not oppressive; the rational world is my friend because I am friend of its happiness; when these things can be said, then may that country boast of its constitution and government.
-- Tom Paine 
 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/sca-cooks-ansteorra.org/attachments/20060531/09460de6/attachment-0004.htm>